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. Car Coupling.

o. 87,649. I Patented March 9,1869;

i R Q FM 5 {h nfi H, PETERS. ,PhotwLilhographar. Washington, D. c.

LOYAL M. DODDRIDGE, OF P ORTLAND, INDIANA, ASSIGNORTO HIMSELF AND 'J AMES N. TEMPLER OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent 87,649, dated Man-ch 9,1869.

.nwrnovnn RAILWAY-CAR cournme.

the Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making P the Fa To all whom itmay concern} Be it known that I, LoYAnM. Donnmnen, of Portland, in the county of Jay, andState of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-(louplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making part'of thisspecification, in which- Figure .1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the .means of securing the coupling-lever, in both its open and closed. position, while the lever is shown in its closed position with the coupling-link attached.

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the same, without the locking-device, or the means of operatingit, but showing the coupling-link in position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cam or looking-device, showing also the rod and lever, or handle,

by which it is operated. j I Y Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of the locking-cam on the line :e-x of fig. 3. I

Figure 5 is an elevation of the same, and

. Figure 6 is a top' view of two of the bnfiers, united by means of the coupling-link.

Oorresponding letters refer to cbrresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to that class of car-buii'ers, or

couplers, which are automatic in their operation so far as their coupling or connecting the cars together is concerned; and Y I It consists in a double cam, which serves the purpose of locking the lever which carries the coupling- 'pin upon its forward end, in its position when the cars are coupled, while its opposite end serves the purpose of forcing said lever into its open position when it is desired to uncouple the car from its fellow or connecting-car, and in the combination of such cam with the buffer, and other devices, as will be j hereinafter described. k v A, in the drawings, represents the buffer-head, to which are attached the locking-lever B, the coupling- This head may be ma de of cast or wronght-iron, and of any form of construction which will permit the aboveenumerated devices to be properly secured thereto.

B is a locking-lever, which is 1pivoted to'the bufferhead, upon its lower side, as c early shown in figs; 1

pin D, guiding-plate E, andvertical cam-shaft F.

and 2 of the drawings.

This lever has, upon its forward end, a projecting pin, which, in connection with the pin or projection 1),

serves to hold the couplingelink in position, when the ears are coupled together.

"The rear end of this lever extends rearward, fiom its point of connection with the bufiisr-head, for a distance sufficient to enable it to be operated upon by the locking-cam O, as will be more fully described eieinafter.

O is .a disk, or lever, having cam-like projections formed upon it in such a manner, that when it is de-' 'sired to lockfthe lever B,i n its closed position, for the purpose of preventing the cars from uncoupling, the projection b of said lever is passed between the outer end of said lever and the under side of the buffer, where'it is retained by means of the small spring G, attached to theupper or outersurface of said projection, but when it becomes necessary to uncouple such cars, the projection .a of such'lever is made to pass upon the under side of lever B, by which means its' forward end is thrown down, or its projection removed from'contact with projection D, by which means the coupling-link is free to pass outbetween such projec tions, thus eflectually uncoupling the cars..

- The manipulation of the disk, or lever, B, is efiected by 'means of the-vertical rod F, and the wheel or handle upon it's upper end.

D is a pin which is secured to the upper portion of the throat of the'bii'ffer-head, or it may be a projection formed thereon, for the purpose of securing the link in position when the cars are coupled together, or for acting in conjunction with lever B, for-that purpose. p

E is a shield, or guide, which is secured to the upper side of the throat or aperture in the end of the buffer-head. The guide is made of spring-steel, or any" other suitable material, its purpose being to insure the forcing ofthe coupling-link down upon the projection upon lever B, so as to insure the attachment of the cars as they are brought together. F is a'vertical shaft, or rod, which is attached to the bufi'er, by means of the cap H, which, together with the buffer, forms its bearing. v

This rod or shaft may be of'sufiicient length to permit the operator to turn it, while sitting or standing. upon the tops of the cars, or it may be shortened, and

operated while standing upon the. platform.

To the lower end of the above-described shaft, the locking lever is firmly attached, while upon its upper end, a lever or wheel is secured, by which it is turned.

G is a spring, which is attached to the under side of; the. buiier, so that its outer end bears upon the lever B, near its rear end,for the purpose of throwing its front-end project oh into contact with projection D,

.at the instant when the coupling-link passes between them, and before. the'locking-cam. has been'so turned as to secure the lever B in that position. r

H 'is the bearing upon the buffer, for the vertical shaft F, as above described.

The operation of this device is as follows: When a train of cars has been coupled together, the parts are in the positions shown in figs. 1 and 2, where it will be seen that the projection b, upon'the cam, or

lever, O, is passed in between such lever and the buf-- fer, 'by. which means the forward end of the lever B is prevented from falling or being forced downward, so as to permit of the coupling-link being-drawn out of its place,- and thus preventing accidents by the premature uncouplingof trains of cars; but when it is desired to unconple them, for the purpose of separate ing them, the cam-lever O is turned by means of the wheel and shaft to which it is secured, so as to bring the projection a, on said lever, in contact with the under side of lever B, by which means itsforward end is depressed, and the link is made free to pass out of the bnffer-head.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, isv 1. The locking-disk, 0r lever, with its cam-like projections, constructed substantially as shown and described.

witnesses LCPSZAL M. DODDRIDGE Witnesses:

SAMUEL ll". Hum,- WILLIAM G. SUTTON. 

